Favorites & Family
by I Lurk In Your House
Summary: As much as Kendall didn't want to admit it, his dad had a favorite. And it was Katie. He didn't even hesitate to make that clear. It was unfair, and cruel, so how long until Kendall cracks?


**Okay… so it sounds like a Austin and Ally episode. **

**It's not… the title just fit. **

**I HAD to do this! Hadda HADDA HADDA!**

**It's like, I read one that was ALMOST like this, but when it wasn't, I had to write it.**

**Who am kidding? Even if the other story WAS like this, I so would've written this anyway. Okay, going into depth…**

**Every time I just picture Kenny just… MOVING (not in a weird way, you move, don't you?), the thought of this story just GETS TO ME, you know dawg?**

**The thing I picture Kendall doing though, is pushing a grocery cart in front of that shop he worked at in that red apron and gray beanie, and despite people's insensitive arguments, HE TOTALLY MAKES WORK!**

**(The beanie… NOT the apron, though it applies)**

•••

It drove the little boy nuts. Everyday, he would come home with the best grade he could possibly manage, and who did praise? Her! She doesn't even go to school! Unfair!

Everyday, he'd crush his opponents on the ice, sometimes literally, just to make him proud. Who did he praise? Her! She doesn't even play hockey! How does that even make sense?

The thing that annoyed him most, what drove him absolutely crazy, is that he treats her like a queen, and him like he's not even his son!

He's seen the baby pictures. When he was born, his mother was tired, but did her best to smile (which meant a lot to him). What was his dad doing? You could barely see him in the background, but behind the doctors, you could see him sitting on the sofa.

Okay, so?

He was on the sofa, with the most dead serious face. He wasn't smiling at his first child's birth! Of course, ever since they found it was a boy, he never did smile at the mention of the baby.

When you look at the her baby pictures, he was front and center. He was was smiling from ear to ear. Kendall was about a year or two younger than he was now, but he was so oblivious to the fact his dad like her more than him, he even named her. Mr. Knight wasn't happy about that, but he allowed it. (To this day, he never calls her by her real name, but nicknames and "Ms. Knight")

Who else was there? Only his three best friends and their parents. He knew that wasn't her fault (If anyone's his own), but there were so many more people and they were ALL smiling.

It was infuriating! Why couldn't his father love them equally like a normal one? Say he couldn't choose if his life depended on it?

He once asked his dad who he loved more.

"Katie," came the immediate answer.

He didn't even hesitate, think, have a bit of doubt.

He told his mother about it, and let's just say there was a lot of screaming at midnight. When his mother found him sobbing in his bedroom, his "dad" went to check on Katie. She was fast asleep!

Ever since then he'd have a strange case of insomnia… but that doesn't matter.

What does matter is what insomnia makes him hear. His mom knew he had it, despite Kendall trying his best to keep it a secret, but Mr. Knight could get very frustrating with his "Kendall shouldn't be a Knight" nonsense.

"Kendall is your son whether you like it or not, and he's probably up there listening to all of this right now!"

"I don't care Jennifer! And I don't understand why you do! Tell me, why is this kid so special to you? Why do you love him more than Katie?"

"I don't love him more! And he's not 'This kid', he's 'our son'! I just give him attention, something you've neglected to do since he was born!"

"We'll I'm sorry if I didn't want a son!"

Kendall could see his mom's face go from a disappointed angry to a defensive angry. Her voice was calm, but it might as well be the Sheila and screeches of a banshee. It was terrifying.

"I know. I know you didn't want a son. But you have one. He's living, he has feelings, and he's only eight. You know how young that is? But at the same time, it's much too long to know you have a father who doesn't love you. I can only hope that all of what your putting on him doesn't scar him."

"Scar him? SCAR HIM? He's already the biggest brat this town has ever seen! He has three 'friends', a know it all, an even BIGGER brat, and the most annoying Latino! They're over here everyday, they're over her every night, he shows them his expensive toys, and they give him more!"

"The biggest brat this town has ever seen? Your kidding me, right? You got to be kidding me. You should be worried Katie doesn't grow up to be that! You don't give Kendall the expensive toys, you give them to Katie! You won't even give me money because your afraid I'll buy something for him! And with my waitress salary, I can barely give him the little two dollar cars, which he never points at and begs for, while your little Katie wants everything she sees!"

"Don't you dare talk about Katie that way!"

"It doesn't matter. It's not her fault. I love her, but your ruining that. You buy her everything and now she thinks she can just dig into both of their college funds to buy to her heart's desire!"

"Let her take Kendall's college funds! I don't care! The kid isn't going anywhere in life. He got a B on that last quiz he took."

He didn't bother to listen to his mother's reply. He tuned out to the best of his ability.

He closed his eyes not expecting sleep, and in return it refused to come.

The voices died down, not in reality, but in his mind.

He couldn't take this anymore! He decided to get up. Once he did, he didn't know what to do. He was confused. He'll admit it. He didn't know what to do.

Instead he went to the bathroom. He couldn't resist looking into Katie's bedroom. He had mixed feelings about Katie. On one hand, she was the sweetest thing ever, and he loved her to death, on the other hand, his dad loved her more. He's admitted to it too.

Love seemed to overpower hate, and he knew that even if he didn't have a little sister, he'd still have an unloving father. It was better with a sister.

Still there was a part that resented her. A part that wants to take over. One that wants to hate her with all his might. But again, love conquers all.

She was sleeping peacefully. It was cute. He wanted so badly to just go over there and throw his arms around her. Then there was that part that wanted to throw his action figures at her. If he could find all the parts…

He walked into her room and sat at the edge of the bed. He gently stroked her hair. She was only two, but she was smart. She was the best. She had two loving parents. Gentle went away a little, but before Kendall could correct himself, Katie was awake. She let a small(ish) whimper, one that Kendall was worried his dad would hear.

Katie looked up, only a bit relieved to see her brother. "Are you mad?" She asked, knowing fully well that Kendall could lash out, even at age 8.

"No, no, of course not baby sister. I just wanted to check on you."

"Oh," she sighed, now feeling safe. She moved herself a little so her head was on Kendall's lap and she could wrap her arms around his waist.

Kendall smiled to himself and put rested his arms around her higher back, as close as he would get to hugging her.

This adorable brother sister moment didn't last long, Mr. Knight practically ran through the door. The loud noise startled Katie and she jumped, which caused Kendall's "Big Bro Instincts" to "activate" and he held her tighter.

"Kendall! How many times did I tell you not to bother my little angel?"

"I- but-"

"Daddy! Kenny was helping. I had bad dream," Katie lied, putting on her little girl act.

Kendall's heart swelled, while his dad's froze over. "Kendall, go to your room."

"No, daddy! I want Kenny!"

"Kendall._ Go to your room_," Mr. Knight repeated.

"Daddy!" Katie wailed.

"_Kendall_!"

Kendall shot out of his seat under Katie, gave her a kiss and left, but not before he saw Mr. Knight wipe it off. Through the paper thin walls, he could hear Katie's crying, but he couldn't help.

"I want Kendall!"

He could hear his dad promising her some kind of toy, but she kept going. His mom finally tiptoed into his room, and told him to get up and help Katie.

If his mom told him to go, he had an excuse, right?

In Katie's room, his dad had to fight the urge to glare at him in front of his mother and Katie, but it kind of happened. Katie stopped crying, and they were now in the same position now as they were before they were rudely interrupted.

His mother pulled his dad out of the room for what she called a little "talk".

"Why are you doing this?" She harshly whispered. "Our kids have a better relationship than any other kid in the neighborhood. Any other parent couldn't even dream of this. Why are you trying to break them up?"

"Because I don't want YOUR son anywhere near Katie."

"Why do you talk about him like he's some kind of disease? He's our son, and she's our daughter. They're brother and sister and they love each other. You can't keep them apart."

"Watch me," he heard.

Watch me… what was he going to do? Before he knew it, Katie was asleep, and he found himself growing tired. He trudged back to his room, sleep. What sounded good but didn't come.

Clearly sleep did eventually come, just not as fast as he'd hoped. He still herd his parents fighting, and all the anger towards Kendall from his father coming at him like a full on storm. He was going to crack. Any day now.

That day wasn't too far off, because just ahead was Father's Day. For the last seven Father's Day, his dad leaves the house all day, and for Katie's first, he took her with him. Not only was he not giving him happy childhood memories to look back on, but he was now depriving him of time with his little sister!

He didn't care though. At least, that's what he's trained himself to do.

But as the day drew closer and closer, he found himself caring about it more. By the time the father and daughter had left the house, Kendall was overwhelmed. He ran up to his room and let loose. He tried to keep quiet sobs, but as the minutes passed, it became loud and… ugly.

His mother, being the one who CARED, immediately came up to see what was wrong.

"Kendall, honey," she sympathetically said as she moved closer to stroke his back.

At her touch, he seemed to get louder, but she kept going. Eventually it all became quiet, almost muffled sniffles and Mrs. Knight pulled him in for a hug. "Kendall, my poor baby, what's wrong honey?"

He couldn't hold it in any longer. It was like a huge dam just shattered to the ground, letting all the water just drown his mother.

When he was done, Mrs. Knight looked like the most caring mother in the world.

When Mr. Knight came home with Katie that night, she instructed Katie to go up to Kendall's room and sleep with him for the night. She happily complied, oblivious to a certain man's cold stares.

There was lots of screaming. Yelling. Loud noises. At around midnight there was a loud slam of a door, and in the morning there was no Mr. Knight. And there never was again.

•••

**I'M HAPPY WITH THIS. **

**It was originally supposed to look like it could keep going, but instead I ended it. **

**Guys I'm tired. I barely have enough strength to say (type)**

**Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee**


End file.
